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At the center of President Barack Obama's strategy for dealing with Daesh (ISIS) is an empty space. It's supposed to be filled by a hypothetical "Sunni ground force," but after more than a year of effort, it's still not there.

What "local forces" is Obama talking about?

The disturbing fact is that a strong, reliable, indigenous Sunni ground force doesn't exist yet in Iraq or Syria.

Consider the false hopes and missed connections over the past year: In Iraq, U.S. trainers were dispatched to Al-Assad and Al-Taqaddum air bases in Anbar province to train thousands of Sunni tribal fighters.

In Syria, Congress authorized a $500 million plan to train and equip a largely Sunni force to fight Daesh.

It's 1944 in the Arab world: Defeating the militants demands the creation of a healthy Sunni body politic.